How Many Soldiers Does It Take To Arrest One Man?

Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
— John 18:3

Jesus has the greatest power in the whole universe! When He walked the earth, He healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, walked on water, changed water into wine, and multiplied loaves and fishes. In fact, Jesus performed so many miracles that the apostle John said, “And  there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written…” (John 21:25).

Satan was terrified of Jesus. That’s why the enemy inspired Herod the Great to try to kill the infant Messiah by slaughtering all the babies in Bethlehem and the surrounding region (Matthew 2:16). When that failed, the devil tried to wipe out Jesus by attempting to seduce Him with temptations in the wilderness. And when that failed, the devil tried to kill Jesus on numerous occasions using angry religious people!

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Do you recall the many times religious leaders tried and failed to catch Jesus? The Gospels are filled with examples when He supernaturally slipped out of the hands of His aggressors. (See Luke 4:30, John 7:30, John 8:59, and John 10:39.)

Now it was time for Satan’s next attempt using Judas Iscariot — and it seems that the devil was worried he wouldn’t succeed again! Thus, the enemy inspired Judas to lead a massive group of Roman soldiers and temple police to arrest Jesus. There were far too many soldiers in this group to capture just one individual — unless that individual was the Son of God!

The religious leaders the devil was using were also filled with hate toward Jesus. Considering how many times Jesus had previously slipped out of their hands, they must have worried that He might slip away this time too.

After serving Communion to His disciples, Jesus retreated to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. John 18:2 tells us that it was Jesus’ custom to go there to pray with His disciples. Therefore, Judas knew precisely where to find Jesus that night when it was time to lead the soldiers and temple police to arrest Him.

John 18:3 says, “Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.” This verse says Judas received “…a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees.…” I want you to understand exactly who this “band of men” and these “officers from the chief priests” were so you can see the full picture of what happened that night on the Mount of Olives. I believe you will be flabbergasted when you realize the gigantic numbers of armed men who came looking for Jesus that night!

The soldiers Judas brought with him to the Garden of Gethsemane were soldiers who served at the Tower of Antonia — a tower that had been built by the Hasmonean rulers. Later it was renamed the “Tower of Antonia” by King Herod in honor of one of his greatest patrons, Marc Antony (yes, the same Marc Antony who fell in love with the Egyptian queen Cleopatra!).

The Tower of Antonia was a massive edifice that was built on a rock and rose seventy-five feet into the air. Its sides had been completely smoothed flat to make it difficult for enemies to scale its walls. Although it had many towers, the highest one was located on the southeast corner, giving the watchman an uninhibited view of the temple area as well as much of Jerusalem.

Inside this massive complex was a large inner courtyard for exercising the Roman cohort — comprised of 300 to 600 specially trained soldiers — that was stationed there. These troops were poised to act defensively in the event of an insurgency or riot. In fact, a staircase led from the tower into the temple, enabling the troops to enter the temple in a matter of minutes should a disturbance develop there. One writer has noted that there was even a secret passageway from the tower to the inner court of the priests, making it possible for troops to reach even that holy, off-limits location.

John 18:3 records that there was “a band of men” in the Garden that night. The Greek word for “a band of men” is spira. This is the word that describes a military cohort — the group of 300 to 600 soldiers mentioned above. These extremely well-trained soldiers were equipped with the finest weaponry of the day.

John 18:3 also tells us that on the night Jesus was arrested, this band of soldiers was accompanied by “…officers from the chief priests and Pharisees….” The word “officers” is from the Greek word huperetas. The word huperetas has several meanings in New Testament times, but in this case, it described the “police officers” who worked on the temple grounds. Once a judgment was given from the religious court of law, it was the responsibility of the temple police to execute these judgments. This fearsome armed force worked daily with the cohort stationed at the Tower of Antonia and reported to the chief priests, the Pharisees, and the Sanhedrin. These were the “officers” who accompanied the Roman soldiers to the Garden of Gethsemane.

We can therefore conclude that when the Roman soldiers and temple police arrived to arrest Jesus, the hillside where the Garden was located was literally covered with Roman soldiers and highly trained militia from the Temple Mount. I want you to really see what a huge crowd of armed men came that night, so let’s look at what the other Gospels tell us about this same incident.

Matthew 26:47 says it was “a great multitude” of soldiers, using the Greek words ochlos polus to indicate that it was a huge multitude of armed men. Mark 14:43 calls it “a great multitude,” using the Greek word ochlos, indicating that it was a massive crowd. Luke 22:47 also uses the word ochlos to indicate the band of soldiers that came that night was enormous.

It makes one wonder what Judas had told the chief priests about Jesus that made them think they needed a small army to arrest Him! Did Judas forewarn them that Jesus and His disciples might put up a fight? Or is it possible that the chief priests were nervous that Jesus might use His supernatural power to resist them?

Certainly Jesus was known for His power! After all, He had ministered for three years — healing the sick, cleansing lepers, casting out demons, raising the dead, walking on water, changing water into wine, and multiplying loaves and fishes. The stories of Jesus’ power must have already been legendary even during His lifetime here on earth!

Even Herod heard of Jesus’ powers and longed to be an eyewitness himself of the miracles He performed (see Luke 23:8). We saw what the apostle John said about this in John 21:25: The world itself couldn’t contain all the books it would take to record every one of Jesus’ miracles. So it’s not too hard to imagine that the majority of people in Jesus’ day had heard stories of the extraordinary power that flowed through Him.

It thrills my heart to think of the power of Jesus Christ! Even more thrilling is the knowledge that the same power that flowed through Him when He walked on this earth now flows through you and me. The same Holy Spirit who anointed Jesus to fulfill His ministry has been sent to empower you and me to do the same works He did! In fact, Jesus prophesied that we would do even greater works (John 14:12). This is the kind of power that operates in you and me!

Anytime the devil tries to insinuate that you’re not a serious threat to be feared, you need to rise up and remind him of Who lives inside you! Tell the devil (and remind yourself at the same time) that the Greater One lives inside you (1 John 4:4) and that you are a world overcomer (1 John 5:4). Remind yourself every day that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives inside you and is at your disposal 24 hours a day. And the next time you’re faced with a situation that requires power, open your heart and let it flow — because the anointing that was on Jesus now rests on you!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I am so thankful You possess the greatest power in the whole universe! I’m not serving a dead god; I’m serving a living Lord who is interceding for me at the right hand of the Father at this very moment. Jesus, I come to You as my Great High Priest, and I ask You today to fill me with Your power 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. I don’t want to just intellectually know about You; I want to truly know You. I want to experience Your power and walk in Your ways!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare by faith that the Greater One lives inside me. I am a world overcomer! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead now lives inside me and is at my disposal 24 hours a day. When I’m faced with a situation that requires power, I open my heart and release the immense power of Jesus Christ that is stored up deep inside me. This power is continuously resident in my heart and is more than enough to face and overcome any obstacle the devil ever tries to throw in my way!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you live with a constant awareness of God’s power living inside you?

2. What are some scriptures you can confess about the power of God that is available to you? It would be good for you to write them down and put them in a visible place so you can be reminded of them every day.

3. Can you think of some times in your life when the anointing of God was upon you so strongly that you were consciously aware of that mighty power flowing through you to others? If someone asked you what it felt like when the anointing was flowing through you, how would you describe it to them?

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
— Hebrews 12:2

Right now believers on every continent of the world are preparing for the Easter season — one of the three biggest annual Christian holidays, with the other being Pentecost and Christmas. Regardless of where you live, Christians will be celebrating Easter and singing jubilant songs that commemorate the resurrection of Christ.

But before there was a resurrection, there was first the Cross. There could be no resurrection without the Cross that preceded it, and that Cross represents the most horrible event Jesus could have ever endured. Yet He endured it all without complaint — for you, for me, and for all who would later come to repentance.

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Have you ever felt that you were thrust into a situation that you didn’t ask for or didn’t desire? Did you find that there was nothing you could do to escape it? How did you deal with the situation? How did you endure it? If that is a description of how you are feeling about life right now, then pay close attention to today’s Sparkling Gem, because as you will see, this is precisely how Jesus felt when He hung on the Cross.

Jesus lived a pure, sinless life. If there was ever anyone born on this earth who didn’t deserve the Cross, it was Jesus. However, it was part of God’s plan for Him to procure the salvation that today we gloriously and freely possess!

Jesus accepted His assignment, but the Bible plainly tells us that He did not relish the experience. He had to set Himself to “endure” it as a part of the assignment the Father had entrusted to Him. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

This verse makes it abundantly clear that Jesus “endured” and “despised” the Cross. In yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, we discussed what it meant for Jesus when the Bible says He “endured” the Cross. However, today I want to take that discussion further.

As we saw yesterday, the word “endured” is a translation of the Greek word hupomeno, which is a compound of the words hupo and meno. The word hupo means under, and the word meno means to abide or to stay. When the two are compounded, the new word portrays a person who is under some type of incredibly heavy load but who refuses to stray from his position because he is committed to his task. Regardless of the load, opposition, stress, or weight that comes against him, he is not going to move. He is going to stay put in his spot and not surrender it to anyone for any reason!

That word “endured” tells us emphatically that Jesus refused to stray from His position. If He had wished, He could have called upon 12 legions of angels to deliver Him and destroy His enemies (see Matthew 26:53), but He refrained because the Cross was the path of redemption that the Father had entrusted into His hands. His experience on the Cross was unimaginably horrific, yet it was the necessary price to be paid for the forgiveness of sin. If Jesus had shirked His responsibility and refused to accept the Cross as a part of His divine calling, then you and I would still be bound by our sin today.

I’ve never hung on a cross as Jesus did, and I can’t even imagine the thought of it. However, there have been times when God has asked me to endure some very hard things that I could escape only by disobeying His instructions. Regardless of how difficult it was to be obedient, I had to keep my eyes fixed on the prize before me and endure the moment. And one thing I have found to be sure: On the path of obedience, difficult or painful moments eventually come to a conclusion — and when they do, resurrection and exaltation follow.

You may be enduring a difficult situation right now because God has called you to do a certain task. Or perhaps there is no other way out but to go through a situation rather than run the other way. Regardless, I encourage you to focus on the example of Jesus and learn from Him. He utterly despised the Cross; yet He endured it nevertheless as a necessary part of His assignment to procure our salvation. This may not sound like something that makes you want to shout. But when you endure to the end and accomplish your divine mission, I promise you’ll be thankful that you did not throw in the towel earlier when you were tempted to give up.

I want to encourage you today to lift your eyes and set them on the goal before you. God’s plan is not that you remain in this difficult place forever. His plan for you is a place of victory and resurrection! For a season — and only God knows how long that season is — you may be called to simply endure. But if you know you’re where you’re supposed to be, simply embrace the opportunity to trust God in the midst of it all and refuse to let any person or any devil from hell move you out of position! With God’s power, you can stay in the right place and get the job accomplished that Jesus has asked you to do!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I look to Jesus in all things as my Example of how to live and to walk in a manner that is pleasing to You. Jesus endured the Cross for me and remained committed to His task without weakening beneath the weight of all that opposed Him. Because Jesus refused to abandon Your plan, even when it cost Him greatly, I will not run from my responsibility to obey Your plan for me, despite the difficulty of what I am facing. I draw upon the power of His might to declare that although I may feel weak, I am strong in Him. Just as Jesus endured His Cross, knowing that it was crucial to His obedience to and fulfillment of God’s divine plan, I take up my cross and follow Him — knowing that as I endure to the end, I will see the salvation of the Lord on my behalf.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that no temptation is beyond my ability to resist it and no trial can come to me that is not common to man or beyond what I can endure. But God is faithful to His Word and to His own compassionate nature. He is at work in me, creating both the desire and the ability to do what pleases Him. I know and trust that He will not allow me to be pressed beyond the measure of my ability and my power to endure so that I can bear up under it patiently. I let patience have its perfect work in me so I can come out on the other side of this situation strong in character and in spirit, lacking nothing.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you recall a time when you were called upon to do something very difficult that your flesh didn’t want to do, but you knew it was God’s will for you to endure it and stay there regardless of how tough it felt at the time?
2. When you look back at that difficult moment, I am sure you had times when you didn’t know if you could endure it. What do you think would have happened if you had quit and thrown in the towel? What would have been the result of caving in to that temptation?
3. Do you know individuals who are exactly where they are supposed to be and doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, yet that place and time is accompanied with hardship? What can you say or do to encourage them to remain faithful in spite of the temporary hardness?

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
— Hebrews 12:2

When Jesus hung on the Cross, beaten almost beyond human recognition, He was subjected to intense, ugly verbal abuse. The soldiers at His feet scoffed, religious leaders laughed, and even a criminal being crucified nearby sneered at Him. In this eternally pivotal moment, all of creation should have rejoiced, for the Creator of the universe was paying the ultimate price for the redemption for mankind. It was the single greatest act of love the world had ever witnessed. But instead of comprehending the supreme price Jesus was paying that day, the crowd arrogantly jeered, mocked, and scorned.

Have you ever pondered how all of this ridicule affected Jesus’ emotions when He was dying on the Cross? Let me ask you — what if you were hanging on the Cross and people laughed and mocked you as you died for them? How would you be tempted to feel at that moment?

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Jesus’ body had already been ripped to shreds by the vicious beating He received in the residence of Pontius Pilate. Roman soldiers in Pilate’s court laughed at Him, mocked Him, and played humiliating games with Him. One by one, a whole cohort of soldiers took turns spitting on Him, slapping Him, and striking His face with a reed they took from a nearby fountain in Pilate’s palace. It was extreme verbal, mental, and physical abuse.

Then the soldiers jammed a crown of thorns so firmly on Jesus’ head that the long, sharp spikes perforated His skin and scraped across His skull, causing blood to stream down from His brow like a river until His entire face was covered with it. The thick, sticky blood matted His eyebrows and eyelashes, making it difficult for Him to see. Huge, nine-inch iron nails were driven through His hands and feet, which pierced His nerves and sent signals of pain throughout His entire body. The weight of Jesus’ body hanging from those nails dislocated His shoulders, and His joints were pulled out of place. He struggled to breathe every breath as His lungs began to fill with fluids that would eventually suffocate Him.

Making this unimaginably horrific experience even worse was the fact that Jesus had been completely stripped naked and hung on that Cross humiliated before the hostile crowd. Putting one’s naked body on public display was a great indignity in Jewish culture, thus making the ordeal especially shameful for Him.

Yet Jesus endured all of this agony, pain, and embarrassment willingly. Why? Because His death was the price demanded to purchase forgiveness and redemption for the very people who had done all of this to Him. He was dying for the very people who sneered at Him, for the criminals who laughed at Him, for the soldiers who mocked Him, for the religious leaders who demanded His crucifixion — and for you and me. (In Sparkling Gems 1, April 21-24, I wrote vivid descriptions of the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus. If you have not already read it, I encourage you to do so. It will give you a greater understanding of what Jesus endured to purchase your salvation.)

But how do you think Jesus felt about this experience at the time it was happening? Hebrews 12:2 gives us insight to this question. It says, “Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

First, I want you to notice that this verse says that Jesus “endured” the Cross. The word “endured” is from the well-known Greek word hupomeno. It is a compound of the words hupo and meno. The word hupo means under, and the word meno means to abide or to stay. When the two are compounded, the new word portrays a person who is under some type of incredibly heavy load but who refuses to stray from his position because he is committed to his task. Regardless of the load, opposition, stress, or weight that comes against him, he is not going to move. He is going to stay put in his spot and not surrender it to anyone for any reason!

This word depicts one who refuses to bend, break, or surrender because he is convinced that the territory, promise, or principle under assault rightfully belongs to him. It denotes a refusal to give up. One expositor has rightfully translated hupomeno as staying power. However, my favorite translation of the word hupomeno is hang-in-there power!

The fact that the Holy Spirit chose to use this word to describe Jesus’ time on the Cross tells us emphatically this was not an enjoyable experience. Regardless of how difficult and humiliating the experience was, Jesus was committed to “endure” it because the shedding of His blood was the only way to purchase our freedom from Satan, sin, and the effects of the curse that Adam’s disobedience brought upon the human race.

The Cross was so unpleasant that Hebrews 12:2 goes on to tell us that Jesus “despised” it. This is very important because it reveals exactly how Jesus felt emotionally about His time spent on the Cross. According to this verse, He “despised” the whole experience. The word “despise” is from the Greek word kataphroneo, a compound of kata and phroneo. The word kata means down, and the word phroneo means to think. When the two are compounded into one word, the new word means to think down on something or to despise it. It could be translated to loathe, to spurn, to detest, to abhor, to have an aversion, or to find something revolting or repulsive. The Cross was a degrading, crushing, and humiliating experience. In fact, crucifixion was the lowest, crudest, and most barbaric form of death in the Roman Empire.

Hebrews 12:2 goes on to tell us that Jesus despised the “shame” of this experience. The word “shame” is aischune, which depicted disgrace, embarrassment, or humiliation. In the New Testament language, the word aischune carries mostly the idea of shame. By using this word, the author of Hebrews was telling us that the Cross was something that brought shame to Jesus. It was an act of indignity which degraded, debased, and dishonored Him.

Just before He died, Jesus cried out and said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). In this amazing statement, I want you to take note of the word “forgive.” It is from the word aphiemi, which means to release, as in releasing a prisoner or setting someone free from an act they have carried out. It is the decision to not hold something against someone, but rather to liberate a person from the consequences of his actions. When Jesus cried, “Father, forgive them,” He was saying, “Father, release them…” or “Father, do not hold this against them….”

When you are facing unfair criticism or being blamed for something you didn’t do, it is imperative that you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and the example He set for you. He lived a perfect, sinless life and did not deserve the punishment that was laid upon Him. Yet He willfully carried our sicknesses and bore our diseases. And when that sin and sickness was laid upon him, He did not retaliate or strike back! The Bible tells us that “when he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously…” (1 Peter 2:23).

There are rare times when nothing can be done to change a situation, and we are required to be silent and trust God to take care of it. First Peter 2:23 says that when Jesus was reviled, He did not revile again, and when He suffered, He threatened not. The word “reviled” is the Greek word loidoreo, which means to speak abusively, to insult someone, or to speak words that are crude and vile. We would call this verbal abuse. However, when these kinds of words were hurled at Jesus, He didn’t return them to his offenders. Instead, He remained silent and “threatened not” when He suffered — even though He could have called upon all of Heaven to deliver Him or to obliterate His enemies. The use of the word loidoreo in this verse emphatically means that Jesus didn’t threaten his enemies when they began to threaten Him.

Instead, Jesus “committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” The word “committed” in First Peter 2:23 is from the Greek word paradidomi, which means to entrust, to hand over, to surrender, or to commit. The fact is, there was no way for Jesus to escape the Cross without abandoning His divine mission on earth. Rather than fight it or becoming angry and vengeful toward His abusers, Jesus chose to turn His eyes to the Father and entrust Himself entirely into God’s hands in that very difficult moment.

Likewise, if you are in a situation that you cannot change, you are called to follow Jesus’ example and entrust yourself into the Father’s care. Retaliating against your offenders or verbally returning words they have said to you will not help you or them. It will just make the situation worse. When you are in a situation that you have no power to change, you must pray for strength to endure the situation, and you must also entrust yourself to God who judges righteously. You can be sure that God is watching, and He will not overlook your prayers of faith or the price you’re paying for the love of Him.

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I want to say thank You for sending Jesus to die for me on Calvary. What a terrible price He paid to purchase my freedom from sin. When He hung on that Tree, it was for me, and for this I want to say thank You from the depths of my heart. Today I ask You for grace to forgive those who have sinned against me, just as Jesus forgave those who sinned against Him. The devil has tried to make me bitter, but I know Your grace can make me better. Rather than focus on the injustice I have experienced, I am fixing my eyes on You and entrusting myself completely into Your loving care.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I joyfully declare that God is my judge and He is watching everything that is taking place in my life right now. I do not have to worry or fret that God doesn’t know what is happening, because I have entrusted myself into His care and He is lovingly watching over me. I will not fight those who have wronged me and I will not retaliate with ugly words. I have made the decision to follow the example of Jesus. So today, I confess that I am not abandoned, I am not alone, but I am resting safely in the arms of my Heavenly Father who deeply cares about me and all that I am going through in my life right now.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Has there ever been a time in your life when you knew that fighting back would accomplish nothing, and you knew that you needed to simply be silent and trust God to work on your behalf? When was that time in your life and what happened as a result of silently trusting God?
2. Can you think of someone who is going through a difficult season in life and needs to be reminded that God is watching and that He will take care of those who surrender themselves to Him? Do you need to pick up the phone and call that person today to encourage that person to keep surrendering his or her situation to the Lord?
3. What did you specifically learn from today’s Sparkling Gem that was new for you?

Supernatural Assistance When You Don’t Know Where To Turn for Help

And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
— Luke 22:43

I’ll never forget the time years ago that our ministry was under a great assault. For no reason we could logically explain, the financial gifts of our partners seemed to dry up and dwindle away for a number of months. After this drought had gone on for several months, our situation became so serious that I didn’t know how we were going to pay for our television broadcasts that covered the length and breadth of the former Soviet Union. It was time to pay the bills, and I didn’t have the money.

As I walked through the city of Moscow that cold winter night, I broke inside from the pressure I had been feeling. I stopped at Red Square, leaned against a rail, and literally wept, not even caring about the people who passed by me. I felt so frustrated because I didn’t know what to do. We had drained everything we had to keep those broadcasts on the air. Millions of people watched our television programs, and those hungry souls were depending on us. God had entrusted me with taking His Word to these former Soviet nations, and I took that responsibility seriously. But because our finances had dwindled, I found myself in an extremely hard spot.

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After riding on the subway system for several hours while I tried to pull my thoughts together, I felt myself sinking deeper into a feeling of desperation. The reality was that if something didn’t happen to quickly change the situation, I would have to cancel our program, and all those millions who waited for it each week would lose the teaching of God’s Word.

I had just come up from the subway on my way to the television meeting when I leaned against that rail in Red Square and wept before the Lord. I felt so alone, so trapped, so unable to fix my problem. There didn’t seem to be anyone I could call or turn to who could comprehend the enormity of what I was tackling in the spiritual realm that night.

I cried out, “Lord, why has this happened? Is there a reason our supporters have temporarily stopped their support? Have we done anything that opened a door for the devil to disrupt our finances? Please tell me what I am supposed to do right now about this situation. What about the millions of people who are waiting for Your Word? Do we just disappear from television and leave them wondering what happened to us?”

All of a sudden, it felt like a divine force entered me! Strength and courage flooded into my soul. I knew God was touching me, giving me a new supernatural boost of courage and faith to face this moment victoriously. Within minutes, my tears disappeared, my desperation vanished, and I began to celebrate the victory! Although I still didn’t have the cash in hand to cover all the television bills, I knew the battle had been won in the Spirit. As it turned out, the money didn’t come in all at once, but the valve had been turned on again and the gifts of our partners began to flow back into the ministry. I thank God for the supernatural assistance He gave me that night!

Have you ever known a time when you felt alone in the challenge you were facing? On the night of Jesus’ betrayal, He must have felt that way. He asked His closest disciples — Peter, James, and John — to come apart and pray with Him in those last hours. But every time He came back to check on the three men, they were sleeping. Jesus was experiencing a great spiritual battle and extreme pressure that night (see April 2); that’s why He wanted His closest disciples to assist Him in prayer. However, that night they were not found faithful.

But when Jesus could find no one to stand with Him in His hour of need, God provided supernatural assistance! Luke 22:43 says, “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” This supernatural strength made up for any lack of support from His three closest disciples.

When Luke writes that the angel “strengthened” him, he uses the Greek word enischuo. This is a compound of the words en and ischuos. The word en means in, and the word ischuos is the word for might or strength. Normally in New Testament times, the word ischuos was used to denote men with great muscular abilities, similar to the bodybuilders in today’s world. But when these two words en and ischuos are compounded together, the new word means to impart strength; to empower someone; to fill a person with heartiness; or to give someone a renewed vitality. A person may have been feeling exhausted and depleted, but he suddenly gets a blast of energy so robust that he is instantly recharged! Now he is ready to get up, get with it, and get going again!

This means that when Jesus’ disciples and friends couldn’t be depended on in His hour of need, God provided an angel that imparted strength, empowered, and recharged Jesus, renewing His vitality with the strength needed to victoriously face the most difficult hour in His life! After being super-charged, Jesus was ready to face the Cross. He awakened His disciples and said, “Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand” (Mark 14:42).

Maybe you’ve had a time in your life when you felt trapped and alone. Perhaps you thought your friends would help you, but now you feel like they let you down at a time when you really needed them. Don’t let desperation take over! Your friends may have fallen asleep on the job, but God hasn’t fallen asleep! He is absolutely committed to seeing you through the situation you are facing right now. And if necessary, He will provide supernatural assistance to recharge you and keep you moving full steam ahead. You may be tempted to feel isolated and alone, but if your spirit’s eyes were opened just for a moment, you would see that you are not alone at all! He is surrounding you with the Holy Spirit’s power, angels, and anything else needed to keep you going forward!

So remember — regardless of the particular battle or situation you are facing in life, God will always come to your assistance. If no one else is faithful, God will see to it that you receive the strength and power you need to victoriously overcome in every circumstance. Supernatural assistance is yours today!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for this word from You that has spoken so directly into my life today. It’s true that I feel very alone and trapped in the situation I’m facing right now. I don’t know what to do, what step to take, what to say, or where to turn. I’ve tried to give the problem to You, but in some way I’ve continued to carry part of the load by myself, and it is starting to break me. Right now — at this very moment — I am throwing the full weight of my burden and cares on Your huge shoulders! I thank You for taking this burden from me and for filling me with the strength I need to press through this time in my life!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that God is committed to seeing me through the situation I am facing right now. He is providing all the supernatural assistance I need to get recharged and to keep me moving full steam ahead! Even though I am tempted to feel isolated and alone, I am not alone! God is filling me with power; He is surrounding me with angels; and He is ready to provide me with anything else I need to keep moving forward to fulfill His will for my life!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you recall some very desperate situations in your life when you felt trapped — like there was no way out — but suddenly the Lord filled you with strength and brought you through victoriously?

2. Can you think of two times in your life when you were absolutely aware that God was supernaturally filling you with the special strength you needed for that exact moment? If so, why don’t you take a few minutes to write down those memories and think about God’s faithfulness to you?

3. Has there ever been a particular situation in your life when you sensed the presence of angels on the scene, ministering on your behalf?

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.
— 1 Peter 2:21

When Denise and I were first starting our traveling ministry many years ago, we would occasionally make time to stop at the Oregon coast to enjoy the sights with our young sons. We didn’t have a lot of money back in those days, so we stayed at some relatively low-class hotels, but the good thing about those hotels was that they were located right on the edge of the beach. The rooms might not have been the nicest, but the locations were terrific!

Denise and I would take our young sons to walk, run, and play on the beach. It was such fun to stand in the water and watch the ripples of the sea come in and slowly wash the sand out from between our toes. We’d collect seashells, chase seagulls, climb the big rocks that jutted out into the ocean, and eat Dungeness crab for lunch every day. But the funniest thing about those trips was watching Denise and the boys as they tried to walk in my footprints!

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I’d walk out front, and Denise would follow behind me, trying ever so carefully to step exactly in each of my footprints. It was hysterical watching her, because my stride was so much bigger than hers. She would nearly leap from one footprint to the next in order to exactly follow in my steps. But the most humorous moment was watching our small sons trying to step in the footprints I had left in the sand. The boys would stretch forward with all their might to reach the next footprint. They’d step short of my steps, jump to get to the next footprint, sometimes trip and fall, and so on. It is one of my favorite memories of their childhood.

The reason I’m telling you this story today is to illustrate the apostle Peter’s words in First Peter 2:21. He wrote, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.” Peter told his readers and us that when we face hardships with people or circumstances that make us suffer, we must look to Jesus and “…follow his steps.” In yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, we studied the word “example” (hupogrammos) and learned that we must be committed to copying Jesus’ every movement. But in First Peter 2:21, Peter took it one step further and told us that “…we should follow his steps.” What does he mean by that phrase?

The word “follow” is the Greek word epakoloutheo. It is a compound of the words epi and akoloutheo. In this context, the word epi means after, and the word akoloutheo is the word that means to follow. When compounded into one word as they are in this verse, the new word means to carefully follow after someone with the goal to replicate what he or she does. It depicts a person so committed to imitating another person that he is willing to follow him exactly and to do whatever he does. This is a picture of true discipleship. The word epakoloutheo could only describe a person who is very serious about replicating someone else’s life in his own. Although everyone will not heed it, this call to replicate the life of Jesus is a call that God has given to every child of God.

But as Peter continued, he used a word to explicitly show how closely we are to imitate the life of Jesus in our own lives. Peter went on to say that we should follow “in his steps.” The word “steps” is the Greek word ichnos, a word that really means footprints — precisely like the foot- prints I left in the sand at the beach. It is the picture of us putting our feet exactly where Jesus first placed His feet, stepping in His very footprints and following His actions in every circumstance we face. The verse could therefore read, “We must ardently follow Him with the goal of replicating His life in ours. Yes, we must be so committed to follow Him that we step in His very footprints.”

This means we must learn to walk in Jesus’ steps, even if it seems His stride — His standard, His example, His way of living and loving and forgiving — seems much bigger than the level we’re used to walking in right now. Like my small sons who tried so hard to walk in my footprints, we must be committed to leap from one footprint of the Master to the next until we have learned to easily match His stride and keep the pace He set while He walked the earth.

This must have been very encouraging for the early believers who were suffering so many injustices at the hands of the Roman government and pagan communities. By following the footprints of Jesus, it made it easier for them to know what to do, how to act, what to say, what they shouldn’t say, and so on. Jesus’ footprints were right there in the four gospels — all they had to do was read them and then do what Jesus had done when He was in a situation similar to theirs.

The truth is, no one was ever more mistreated than Jesus. When soldiers spat on Him, Pilate scourged Him, religious leaders laughed at Him, and He was even betrayed by His own disciples, He continued to walk in love and forgave them all. He set the chief example about how we should respond when we find ourselves in circumstances beyond our control. Therefore, in moments when we feel injustice is being carried out against us, it is imperative that we remember the example Jesus set for us and then “follow His steps.”

So instead of giving in to frustration and letting your emotions get the best of you when you’re having a hard time, look to Jesus’ example and strive to walk exactly as He walked. Once you’ve found His footprints in the Word of God, pick up your feet and step forward by faith to follow His steps, which are clearly outlined. With those footprints before you, you can do what He did, you can say what He said, and you can walk how He walked.

If you will let the Holy Spirit help you, it is possible for you to successfully walk through this time in your life. What a blessing that you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself! Just look at Jesus’ steps in the sand, and stretch forward by faith to step in His footprints. By yourself, you can’t do it. But if you will let the Holy Spirit help you, He will show you how to keep the Master’s pace and match His stride through every challenge along the way to a victorious outcome!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I thank You for setting the supreme example for me! Although You were abused, misused, and falsely accused, it never affected Your love or Your steadfast commitment to minister to the world. Today I make the choice to follow in Your steps as they are outlined in the Word of God. I refuse to allow my emotions to dominate me or to permit my feelings to be hurt. I make the decision to ardently follow the example that You left for me. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will give my best efforts to walk in the footprints You left for me in the Word of God.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I will move out of the place of hurt feelings and step forward to walk in same steps that Jesus took. His steps are clearly outlined in the Word of God, so I will read the Word, study Jesus’ life, and learn how Jesus responded to people and situations. With His example before me, I will do what He did, say what He said, and walk how He walked. Following in His footprints makes it much easier for me to deal with the circumstances at hand!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Has there been a time in your life when you didn’t know how to respond to conflict or injustice that was being leveled against you?
2. When you look at the life of Jesus and see how He responded to people who treated Him unfairly, how do you fare in comparison to His example? By studying His example, what do you now see that you should do differently when you are confronted with a difficult situation?
3. Why don’t you take some time to read through the gospels to see how Jesus responded to the criticism that was leveled against Him just before His crucifixion? Take notes of what you read, and see what you can learn about the godly way to respond to false accusations and undeserved blame.

Experiencing ‘Agony’ Over Life Situations ?

And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
— Luke 22:43,44

Have you ever wondered where all your friends were at a time when you really needed them? They pledged they would be faithful, but when you needed them, they were nowhere to be found! Did you feel abandoned in that moment of need? Jesus Himself was confronted with that same situation when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion.

After Jesus was finished serving Communion to His disciples in the upper room, the Bible tells us that He went to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples. Knowing the Cross and the grave was before Him, Jesus felt a need to spend time in intercession so He might have the strength needed to face what lay before Him. He also requested that Peter, James, and John come apart to pray with Him.

Rarely, if ever, did Jesus need His friends’ assistance; most of the time, they needed His! But in this intense moment, Jesus really felt a need to have the three disciples who were closest to Him pray with Him. Jesus asked these disciples to pray for just one hour. But instead of faithfully praying when Jesus desperately needed their support, they kept falling asleep!

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The mental and spiritual battle Jesus was experiencing that night in the Garden of Gethsemane was intense. In fact, Luke 22:44 says, “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Today I want you to especially notice the word “agony” in this verse. It comes from the Greek word agonidzo, a word that refers to a struggle, a fight, great exertion, or effort. It is where we get the word agony — a word often used in the New Testament to convey the ideas of anguish, pain, distress, and conflict. The word agonidzo itself comes from the word agon, which is the word that depicted the athletic conflicts and competitions that were so famous in the ancient world.

The Holy Spirit used this word to picture Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of His betrayal. This tells us that Jesus was thrown into a great struggle and fight that night. Knowing that the Cross and the grave were before Him, He cried out, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me…” (Luke 22:42).

The spiritual pressure that bore down upon Jesus’ soul was so overwhelming that the Bible says it was agonidzo, or agony. It was so strenuous that it involved all of Jesus’ spirit, soul, and body. He was in the greatest fight He had ever known up to that moment.

Jesus’ intense level of agony is depicted in the phrase, “…he prayed more earnestly….” The word “earnestly” is the Greek word ektenes, a Greek word that means to be extended or to be stretched out. A person in this kind of agony might drop to the ground, writhing in pain and rolling this way and that way. This word ektenes presents the picture of a person who is pushed to the limit and can’t be stretched much more. He is on the brink of all he can possibly endure.

Jesus’ emotional state was so intense that it says “…his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” The “sweat” is the Greek word idros. The word “drops” is the Greek word thrombos, a medical word that points to blood that is unusually thickly clotted. When these two words are joined, they depict a medical condition called hematidrosis — a condition that occurs only in individuals who are in a highly emotional state.

Because the mind is under such great mental and emotional pressure, it sends signals of stress throughout the human body. These signals become so strong that the body reacts as if it were under actual physical pressure. As a result, the first and second layer of skin separate, causing a vacuum to form between them. Thickly clotted blood seeps from this vacuum, oozing through the pores of the skin. Once the blood seeps through, it mingles with the sufferer’s sweat that pours from his skin as a result of his intense inner struggle. In the end, the blood and sweat mix together and flow down the victim’s face like droplets to the ground.

This was the worst spiritual combat Jesus had ever endured up to this time. Where were His disciples when He needed them? They were sleeping! He needed His closest friends — yet they couldn’t even pray for one hour! So God provided strength for Jesus in another way, which we will see in tomorrow’s Sparkling Gem.

Have you ever felt a need for help but found your friends couldn’t be counted on? Did you find your friends sleeping on the job when you felt a deep need for help and support? Were you in a situation that caused you to feel intense agony or pushed to the limit? Are you in that kind of situation right now?

Maybe you’ve never sweat blood and tears. But more than likely, you have struggled in your soul at one time or another because of problems with your marriage, your children, your relationships, your ministry, or your finances. If you’ve ever felt like you were constantly living in a “pressure cooker,” you know that continuous pressure is hard to deal with — especially if you have no one to lean on for strength, encouragement, and help.

If you are experiencing one of those times right now, Jesus understands because He faced the same situation in the Garden of Gethsemane. Hebrews 2:18 says, “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” Because of what Jesus experienced, He is able to understand everything you are thinking and feeling today. So take a few minutes to pray, and talk to Jesus about the situations you are facing. He empathizes completely, and He will give you the strength you need to make it today!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I need a little relief from the stress and pressure I’ve been under lately. I’m so thankful You understand what I’m feeling and going through in my life right now. Sometimes I feel so lonely in my situation. Even when my friends want to help, I don’t know how to express myself. But I know that You understand me, even when I can’t get the right words out of my mouth. So, Lord, today I am asking You to come alongside me in a special way. Undergird me with Your strength, power, and wisdom. Thank You for understanding me and for helping me today!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly confess that Jesus Christ understands and empathizes with me and the situations I am facing right now. Because He understands, I go to Him and talk to Him, knowing that He hears me when I pray. And not only does He listen to me, but He also answers the prayers and the cries of my heart. I do not have to face my challenges today alone because Jesus is with me, empowering me to stand tall, to stand firm, and to hold my head high! With Him as my Helper, I will not only survive but will thrive and prosper in spite of what the devil has tried to do to me.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were pushed to the limit of what you thought you could endure?

2. In that situation, did you turn to the Lord for strength and comfort and talk to Him about it?

3. In what way did the Lord bring strength and comfort to your soul when there may not have been another person there to help you?

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps….
— 1 Peter 2:21

Can you remember first learning to write as a young child? Oh, how well I remember those early days in the first grade when I carefully studied how my teacher wrote the letters of the alphabet on the blackboard. When she was done, it was our turn to take our lead pencils in hand and copy what she had written.

With all my might, I pressed my pencil onto the paper of my Indian Chief tablet. In fact, I pushed so hard writing those letters that I formed a callous on my finger that I still have to this day! I gave 100 percent of my concentration to exactly duplicate every letter my teacher had written on that blackboard. Day after day and hour after hour, I would write those letters over and over again. I filled my tablet with pages of writing until I finally mastered each letter of the alphabet. It took concentration and commitment, but in time, I learned to write exactly as my teacher had shown me.

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I’m sure you, too, can remember when you first learned to write. But did you know that this is precisely the idea Peter had in mind when he told the early believers, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21)?

Let me explain what I mean. When Peter wrote these words to early believers, they were suffering terribly for their faith at the hands of the Roman government. They were suffering unjustly, and there was nothing they could do legally to defend themselves. God’s Word commanded them to respect, submit to, and pray for the very government that was harassing and killing them. To the believers who were facing this plight of unjust treatment, Peter said this: “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

The word “suffered” in this verse is from the Greek word pascho, meaning to suffer. It’s the word used to describe the passion or suffering of Jesus when He died on the Cross. However, there are many examples of the word pascho in the New Testament, all of which carry the idea of suffering, undergoing hardships, being ill-treated, or experiencing adversity.

The truth is, Jesus experienced a measure of suffering throughout His entire life on this earth. When He was a Child, His family suffered as they fled from the murderous plots of King Herod. Later Jesus suffered at the hands of religious leaders who hated Him and continually leveled false accusations against Him. Jesus had to constantly put up with the immature behavior of His disciples as He tried to teach them and set an example for them. He suffered betrayal at the hands of one of His associates, Judas Iscariot. His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane was so intense that His sweat was as great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And in the end, Jesus suffered the worst suffering of all — death on the Cross. Yet through it all, Jesus lived above the suffering and maintained an attitude of love for those who treated Him unjustly.

Peter reminded his readers of Jesus’ suffering, hardship, and ill treatment in order to draw the early believers closer to the Lord in the midst of what they were experiencing themselves. At that time, they desperately needed to know how to respond to unjust situations they could not change. Since no one was better at dealing with such challenges than Jesus, Peter reminded his readers (and us) that “…Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example….”

Now we return to the illustration of a child learning the letters of the alphabet! When Peter chose to use the word “example” in this verse, he reached into the world of early education and borrowed the Greek word hupogrammos. This word precisely depicts a schoolchild who carefully watches his teacher write the letters of the alphabet. Then that child painstakingly and carefully copies each letter, matching it as closely as possible to the original letters written by his teacher.

This is exactly the picture Peter had in mind when he told you to follow the “example” of Jesus. Since Jesus is your Teacher and Master, you must focus on your spiritual blackboard — the Word of God — to learn from Him and then reproduce His example in your own life.

You must learn:

• How the Master dealt with unfair criticism, so you can respond like Him when you are unfairly criticized.
• How Jesus responded to attacks that were waged against Him, so you can know how to respond in His strength to attacks that come against you.
• How He responded to people when they failed or betrayed Him, so you can respond the same way when people disappoint or hurt you.
• How Jesus carried Himself with grace and dignity even in the midst of unspeakable abuse, so you can then draw on His strength to walk through difficult situations with the same grace and dignity.
• How He forgave His accusers every step of the way, so you can freely forgive those who mistreat or malign you.

You cannot avoid the fact that you will sometimes face unpleasant situations in which you feel mistreated, abused, or discriminated against. As long as you live in a world where the devil operates and unsaved people have their way, evil and injustice will touch your life from time to time. So when you find yourself subjected to a situation that seems unfair and unjust, you must ask, How does God expect me to respond?

Of course, you should pray for God to change a difficult situation. Prayer can make a huge difference in any circumstance. But what if the situation doesn’t change as quickly as you wish? How should you respond? For example:

• If your employer treats you badly for no obvious reason and the situation goes on for a long time, what should you do? Of course, you could go find another job. But what if you know that your current job is where God wants you and that you’re not supposed to leave it? How should you respond to the foul treatment you are receiving from your superior?
• If fellow employees are out to hurt you, to undercut you, or to see you demoted, what course of action should you take? Perhaps you’ve taken steps to befriend them, but nothing seems to improve the situation. How should you respond to the unfair treatment you’re experiencing?
• Maybe you feel persecuted by fellow students who don’t share your faith in Christ and who dislike your personal conviction. You know you can’t quit school as a reaction to this difficult situation. But exactly how does God expect you to respond?
• Perhaps your family members are hostile to you because they don’t understand your faith or they don’t agree with the direction you’re taking in life. How should you respond to your loved ones? It’s so very important that you know how to respond when your family doesn’t agree or support what you are doing — especially when you know the Holy Spirit is the One leading you to take that course of direction.

Certainly you must do everything possible to resolve conflicts with friends and family and to protect yourself and your reputation. Yet sometimes things happen that are beyond your control, that are not so easily resolved, and for which there is no easy recourse. Whenever you’re feeling maligned and mistreated, remember that it’s a prime opportunity for the devil to tempt you to become bitter, angry, hard-hearted, and resentful of those who have treated you unjustly. If you yield to that temptation, your wrong response won’t do anything to improve your situation, but it will produce negative consequences in your own life.

That’s why you must absolutely refuse to allow the devil to sow those negative emotions into your heart, which only bear bad fruit. Harboring such emotions is never the answer, no matter what situation you might be facing in life.

Are you facing difficult times? Are you being accused of things you didn’t do or being blamed for things of which you have no knowledge? Are you being mistreated or discriminated against? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this is the moment for you to turn your eyes to the blackboard — God’s Word — and study each stroke of the Master. Once you see what He did and how He responded in situations similar to yours, it is then your task to copy Him. If you’ll take this approach to the challenges you’re facing right now that seem so distressing, you’ll begin to see those situations as opportunities to become more like Jesus.

So make it your earnest goal to apply the principles of Jesus’ life to your own life. Strive to pen the strokes of your moments on this earth to reflect each stroke of the Master. If you’ll let the Holy Spirit help you, it’s possible for you to successfully walk through life as Jesus did. What a blessing that you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself! Just study the strokes of the Master’s pen, and press forward by faith to copy those strokes in the face of every challenge that arises.

By yourself, you cannot do it. But Jesus didn’t leave you to face the challenges of life alone and without help. After purchasing the full price of your redemption, He ascended on High, where He now intercedes continually before the Father on your behalf (see Hebrews 7:25). And just as He promised, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within you as your Teacher and Guide and to fill and empower you so you can walk as Jesus walked through every situation you could ever face.

Jesus did the hard part. All that He suffered, He suffered for you, leaving behind a perfect example for you to follow. As you respond with His wisdom and love in the face of every challenge, light will overcome darkness and God’s purposes will be fulfilled. Victory will be the outcome today in every situation you face when, by God’s grace and the help of His Spirit, you determine to copy the strokes of the Master!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I’ve been struggling with a difficult situation. I have prayed for wisdom; I sought the advice and counsel of others. But now I know that I need to seek the example of Jesus as it is revealed in the four gospels. Jesus is my Example and the One I am called to imitate. So, Holy Spirit, I am asking You to help me as I open my Bible to seek answers from the life of Jesus. Once I see what Jesus did and how He responded to situations that are similar to mine, I ask You to help me copy every stroke of His life. I know that if I will do what Jesus did, it will not only help me, but also it will positively affect those whom the devil has used to mistreat me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I am a serious disciple of the Lord Jesus. He is my Example, my Teacher, my Master, and my Lord. As a serious disciple, I study His life and endeavor to imitate His every response in my thinking, in my actions, and in my relationships. I regularly read my Bible to learn from the life of the Master. As I seek answers from God’s Word, the Holy Spirit enlightens my eyes and gives me the answers I need to successfully navigate through the difficult situations and relationships I encounter in life. By myself I could never know how to effectively maneuver through all these minefields, but the Holy Spirit sees what I do not see, He knows what I do not know, and He is helping me walk unharmed through life with the actions and attitude of Jesus!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. How long has it been since you’ve read all four gospels? Can you remember the last time you did it? What impact did it have on your life?
2. What is the exact situation you are facing right now that personally challenges you? Is it a person or a group of people that seems to be the source of trouble for you? Do you really understand why they don’t like you, why they don’t enjoy your company, or why they disagree with you? Even if their point of view is wrong, have you tried to understand it?
3. How long has it been since you seriously prayed for the people who are troubling you? As you pray for them, rather than just think about them, the Holy Spirit may drop ideas into your heart that will help you break the barriers between yourself and them. Why don’t you take a few minutes to pray for them right now?

How the Devil Turned A Friend Into a Betrayer

And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.
— John 13:2 

Have you ever felt betrayed by a friend or by someone you dearly loved? When it happened, were you shocked? Did it feel like that person put a knife in your back by violating your trust and revealing things that should have been kept in confidence? Did you marvel that such a trusted friend could turn out to be so disloyal? Did you wonder, How in the world could a person so dear and close be used so viciously by the devil to attack me in this way?

It’s painful when a friend betrays you. It’s even worse when the person is your best friend or someone you’ve known and trusted for many years.

Betrayal is something that has happened to people since the beginning of time. It is simply a fact that the devil is a master at distorting and ruining relationships. He knows how to lure people into situations where they end up feeling offended or hurt; then he coaxes them to nurture their offense until it mutates into strife that separates even the best of friends and family.

Don’t forget — Satan was kicked out of Heaven because of his unique ability to create confusion, discord, and strife. Heaven is as perfect as an environment can be; yet in that perfect environment, the devil was still able to affect one-third of the angels with his slanderous allegations against God. Angels who had worshiped together for eons of time now stood opposed to each other over issues the devil had conjured up in their minds.

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That should tell you how clever the devil is at creating discord and strife! If the devil is persuasive enough to do this with angels, think how much easier it is for him to deceive people who live in a far-from-perfect environment and who wrestle daily with their own imperfections and self-images!

Satan watches for that opportune moment when a person is tired, weary, or exasperated; then he waits until someone does something that person doesn’t understand or agree with. Suddenly it is as if the devil shoots a fiery arrow of rage straight into the person’s emotions! Before long, strife, bitterness, unforgiveness, and division begin to mount. Friends who once stood side by side and cherished each other now stand facing each other as hostile rivals.

If this sounds familiar, be encouraged! This same scenario happened to Jesus! After working with Judas Iscariot for three years, the devil found his way into Judas’ soul, turning him so sour against Jesus that this disciple became His betrayer. But we need to ask, What opened the door for this deception to occur inside Judas?

In John 13:2, the Bible gives us a very powerful insight into the way the devil establishes a foothold in people’s minds. Back in John 12:3-7, Mary brought a pound of spikenard and poured it on Jesus’ feet. Judas thought her act of love was a waste of money and took issue with Jesus about it. But Jesus told Judas to leave Mary alone and allowed her to continue. John 13:2 then tells us, “And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.”

What was the exact moment that Satan put this thought into Judas’ heart? Apparently, it was when Judas became offended with Jesus about the spikenard. Perhaps Judas didn’t agree with Jesus’ decision, or maybe he didn’t like the fact that Jesus told him to leave Mary alone. Whatever the reason, it was at that moment of disagreement that the devil found an open door into Judas’ heart.

Especially notice the phrase “…the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot.…” The words “put into” come from the Greek word ballo, which means to throw, to cast, to thrust, or to inject. This word ballo carries the idea of a very fast action of throwing, thrusting, or injecting something forward, such as the throwing of a ball or rock, or the forward thrusting of a sharp knife.

It is significant that this word was used in this context, because it tells us how quickly the devil moved to inject a seed of betrayal into Judas’ heart. When the seed of betrayal was injected, it went so deep that it turned Judas — one of Jesus’ closest associates — into a deceiver and a betrayer. Judas became the epitome of a disloyal and unfaithful friend.

When Satan finally penetrated Judas’ mind and emotions with this seed of betrayal, he injected it so hard and fast that it became deeply embedded or lodged in Judas’ soul.

John 13:2 could therefore be translated:

“…the devil having now thrust into.…”
“…the devil having now inserted into.…”
“…the devil having now forcibly hurled into.…”
“…the devil having now embedded into.…”

There is no doubt that the word ballo means the devil quickly seized an opportunity to inject a seed of betrayal into Judas’ heart. He was so offended by Jesus that a window to his heart and emotions opened, even if only for a brief moment. When the devil saw that opening, he moved like lightning to penetrate Judas’ mind and emotions in order to sour a long-term relationship and turn a trusted friend into a betrayer.

Judas was used as Satan’s instrument because he allowed the enemy to drive a wedge between him and Jesus. Rather than let go of the disagreement and forget about it, Judas let the issue become a big deal in his mind — something so blown out of proportion that the devil was able to use the offense to lure him into the ultimate act of disloyalty. Because Judas didn’t take his thoughts captive, the devil succeeded in tainting his view of Jesus. This then led to a disastrous effect on Judas’ relationship with Him.

It is important that you learn how to recognize those times when the devil tries to inject a seed of division into your heart. He wants to drive a wedge between you and the people you love. Rather than let him get away with this evil tactic, make a decision to resist every temptation to get angry and offended. By resisting these thoughts, you can take a stand against the devil and protect your relationships.

Learn from the example of Judas Iscariot. Determine that you will never let any issue get so blown out of proportion that it turns you into a disloyal, lying, betraying friend. And if you are hurting right now because someone has recently betrayed and hurt you, choose the route of forgiveness! Remember, what you sow is what you reap — and if you sow forgiveness now, you will reap forgiveness from others when you need it in the future!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, please forgive me for the times I’ve allowed the devil to put a wedge between me and the people You have placed in my life. Help me go to them and ask forgiveness for the things I did wrong. Help me also to extend patience, forgiveness, and love to others who have done wrong to me or who will wrong me in the future. I never want the devil to be in charge of my emotions or my thought life, so I am asking You to help me think clearly and to know how to recognize those times when the devil tries to upset me and ruin my relationships.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that my mind is free of offense, unforgiveness, and strife. Because I walk in mercy and forgiveness, the devil has no entrance or open door to find his way into my mind and emotions. The Spirit of God dominates my thinking and helps me see things very clearly!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever been aware of a moment when the devil was trying to sow a seed of discord into your soul against someone you dearly loved?

2. Did you know that you faced a choice — that you could either overlook what the person had done to offend you, or you could let the offense get lodged deep down inside your soul?

3. Did you let the devil divide you and that person you loved, or did you win the victory by making the choice that you would not allow the devil to disrupt such an important long-term relationship?

Jesus’ Last Lesson For the Disciples

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter….
— John 14:16

I’ve often heard Christians ask, “I wonder what it must have been like to walk with Jesus. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to walk with Him and to hear His voice and talk to Him?” But believers who ask these kinds of questions don’t understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If they did, they’d know that having the Holy Spirit with them is just like having Jesus right at their side!

Because Jesus was about to depart from the world, He knew it was absolutely essential that the disciples learn how to rely entirely on the Spirit of God and to follow His leadership. Therefore, Jesus used His last moments to teach the disciples how to follow the Holy Spirit’s leadership in the same way they had followed Him.

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It must have seemed strange to the disciples as they listened to Jesus speak about the Holy Spirit. They had been accustomed to Jesus’ physically and visibly leading them, but now they were learning that the Spirit of God would become their Leader. This would be a Leader they couldn’t see, couldn’t touch, and couldn’t audibly hear; yet they were supposed to follow Him just as they had followed Jesus. They were probably thinking, What is the Holy Spirit’s leadership going to be like in our lives? Does He act and think differently than Jesus? What is it going to be like to follow the Spirit of God?

Knowing that these were normal questions to ask, Jesus used His final moments with the disciples to dispel all fear and insecurity they might have felt about following the Holy Spirit’s leadership. This is why Jesus was so careful to use key words when He spoke to them about the coming of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:16, for example, Jesus said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter.…”

Notice that word “another.” I want to draw your attention to this very important word today. In Greek, there are two possible words for another. The first is the Greek word allos, and the second is the Greek word heteros. The word allos means one of the very same kind; same character; same everything; or a duplicate. The second word, heteros, means one of another kind or one of a different kind. This word heteros forms the first part of the word heterosexual, which, of course, describes someone who has sexual relations with a person of the opposite sex.

The Greek word used in John 14:16 is the first word, allos. The word allos emphatically means that the Holy Spirit would be like Jesus in every way. This conveys a very strong and important message about the Holy Spirit. Jesus wanted the disciples to know that the Holy Spirit was just like Him. Following the Holy Spirit wouldn’t be any different than following Him, except the Spirit’s leadership would be invisible rather than physical and visible, as Jesus’ leadership had been.

One translator says the word allos in John 14:16 could be translated to mean:

“I will pray to the Father, and He will send you Someone who is just like Me in every way. He will be identical to Me in the way He speaks, the way He thinks, the way He operates, the way He see things, and the way He does things. He will be exactly like Me in every way. If the Holy Spirit is here, it will be just as if I am here because We think, behave, and operate exactly the same….”

Earlier in John 14, Philip told the Lord, “…Shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us” (v. 8). Jesus answered, “…Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father” (v. 9).

Jesus was the exact image of the Father when He walked on this earth. Hebrews 1:3 (AMP) declares, “He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature….” This means Jesus reflected the character of His Heavenly Father in every way. That is why Jesus told Philip, “…He that hath seen me hath seen the Father….”

If you see Jesus, you see the Father. By looking at Jesus, you can discover the Father’s will. Jesus did and said exactly what the Father would do and say. His life, attitudes, and actions were the absolute manifested will of the Father, for the two were united in nature, in character, in thought, and in deed.

As Jesus teaches the disciples about the Holy Spirit, He takes this truth one step further. Just as Jesus is the exact image of the Father in every way, now Jesus unmistakably tells the disciples that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will exactly represent Jesus in every word. That’s why the word allos is used to make this point. It leaves no room for doubt that the Holy Spirit will be exactly like Jesus.

The word allos tells us the Holy Spirit perfectly represents the life and nature of Jesus Christ. Jesus did only what the Heavenly Father would do, and now the Holy Spirit will do only what Jesus would do. As Jesus’ Representative on earth, the Holy Spirit never acts on His own or out of character with the life of Jesus Christ.

You see, the Spirit of God was sent to bring us the life of Jesus. Just as Jesus told Philip, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father,” now He is telling us, “If you have the Holy Spirit, it will be just as if you have Me.”

You and I must stop looking backward and grieving over what we missed by not living two thousand years ago. Instead, we must learn to let the Holy Spirit lead and guide us, just as He did in the Early Church. Jesus’ physical absence didn’t stop the early believers from performing miracles, raising the dead, casting out demons, healing the sick, or bringing multitudes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Because the Holy Spirit was with them, the ministry of Jesus continued uninterrupted in their midst.

Why don’t you start opening your heart to the work of the Spirit today? He wants to represent Jesus to you, your church, your family, your business, and your city, just as He did to believers who lived during the time of the book of Acts. Remember, if you have the Holy Spirit working alongside you, it’s just like having Jesus right there at your side!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me learn how to work with the Holy Spirit! I don’t want to waste time grieving over what I missed by not living two thousand years ago, so I ask You to teach me how to let the Spirit lead and guide me. Your Word teaches that because the Holy Spirit is with me, the ministry of Jesus can continue uninterrupted in my life today. Holy Spirit, I ask You to bring me into a greater knowledge of how to work with You so that the ministry of Jesus can continue through me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare by faith that the Holy Spirit works mightily in my life. I know His voice; I discern His leading; and I boldly do what He tells me to do. Because I am obedient to His voice, the life of Jesus Christ is manifested in me. Having the Holy Spirit work with me is just like having Jesus right by my side all the time. Just as Jesus worked miracles in the book of Acts through the apostles, the Holy Spirit works miracles through me today — healing the sick, casting out demons, and bringing salvation to the lost through Jesus Christ!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you say that the Holy Spirit is working powerfully in your life right now? If you say yes, what is the evidence that lets you know He is working mightily through you? Ponder this question, and write down your answers on a piece of paper.

2. When you read the Gospels, does it seem like you’re reading about the same Jesus who works in your life today — or about a historical Jesus who did things you’ve never experienced?

3. What actions and changes do you need to take so the Holy Spirit can become a supernatural Partner in your life?

And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
— Ephesians 6:17

How would you like to deal a debilitating blow to the devil when he tries to attack your life and mind?

Today I want to talk to you about what Ephesians 6:17 calls the “sword of the Spirit” — a supernatural sword that has the power to drive back the enemy and deal a blow to his attacks against your life. When you have what I’m about to describe, it gives you supernatural sword power against the devil!

In Ephesians 6:17, Paul wrote, “And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” In order to fully understand Paul’s message regarding the sword of the Spirit, let’s look at what the apostle had in his mind when he used the word translated “sword.” It’s the Greek word machaira, which is the very word used to describe the type of sword that Roman soldiers used in battle.

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Because the Roman army was so committed to warfare, Roman soldiers continually practiced the arts of warfare. One daily exercise was sword practice, which they undertook both in the morning and the afternoon. Every soldier practiced sword fighting by striking a six-foot-high wooden post that was firmly fixed in the ground. This post became the soldier’s “enemy” during practice. Just as he would if he were fighting a real enemy, the soldier would advance upon his target, strike hard with his sword, and then retreat.

The soldier’s job in practice was to learn how to take advantage of his enemy, hit him at his weakest point, and strike him so he could not respond. His aim was nearly always directed toward the area of the post that represented the head or face, the thighs and legs, or occasionally the sides of the target.

The ancient Roman writer Vegetius described Roman sword-fighting tactics in his book Concerning Military Matters, saying, “They were likewise taught not to cut, but to thrust with their swords. For the Romans not only made jest of those who fought with the edge of that weapon, but always found them an easy conquest. A stroke with the edges, though, made with ever so much force, seldom kills, as the vital parts of the body are defended both by the bones and armor. On the contrary, a stab, though it penetrates but two inches, is generally fatal.”1

The practices I just described are exactly what Paul had in mind when he wrote, “And take… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). How vital it is that we understand the sword of the Spirit!

Notice particularly where Paul said, “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This word “word” is the Greek word rhema, which refers to a specific, quickened word. In order to have a sword that penetrates a blow to the enemy, we need a rhema — a specific, quickened word from the Scriptures — placed into our hearts and mouths by the Holy Spirit. With a rhema from God placed in our hearts and mouths, we have “sword power”!

Remember, all a Roman soldier had to do in order to eradicate his enemies was make a well-placed, two-inch-deep stab wound. Likewise, one rhema from the Lord has the power to eliminate the enemy’s attacks! Thank God for the sword of the Spirit!

The best example of this powerful sword of the Spirit is found in Luke 4:3-13. In this passage, Satan is repeatedly and aggressively attacking Jesus. But Jesus answered him repeatedly with a specific quickened rhema from the Holy Spirit. For example, after the devil tempted Jesus with food, Jesus drew the sword of the Spirit and rebuked Satan, saying, “…It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (v. 4). The enemy could not respond to this sword of the Spirit.

When Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for worship, Jesus drew another rhema and wounded him deeply yet again. Jesus said, “…it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (v. 8). To this sword of the Spirit, Satan had no answer.

Finally, when Satan tempted Jesus to prove His deity, Jesus answered him again with a sword! He said, “It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (v. 12). With this rhema, Jesus penetrated Satan’s armor with one final stab and dealt his enemy a devastating blow. Luke 4:13 tells us that after Jesus responded multiple times with a rhema — a specific, quickened word that dealt exactly with the type of attack Jesus was facing — the devil “departed” from him. Satan was nullified by these rhema words that Jesus drew and used like a spiritual sword against him.

Like the Lord Jesus, when the Holy Spirit quickens a scripture to you and you use it against the enemy, he will eventually “depart” from you because he has no answer with which to engage you in further combat. The sword of the Spirit is a supernatural spiritual weapon that renders the devil powerless. So today I want to urge you to open your heart to let the Holy Spirit reveal the exact scriptures you need to withstand the devil’s attacks and to deal him a “fatal” blow. With those scriptures in your heart and mouth, God will have given you a spiritual sword that the devil cannot resist!

1 Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, Concerning Military Matters (De Re Militari), Book

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I am thankful for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. When I need sword power to stand against the enemy, the Holy Spirit quickens Scripture to my heart. When those verses are supernaturally revealed to me, please help me recognize and not forget or underestimate what is happening. Help me realize that the Spirit of God is placing a supernatural sword in my heart and that my job is to put it in my mouth and to wield it against the enemy. And, Father, just as the devil eventually “departed” from Jesus, at least for a season, I know that the devil will depart from me too. Thank You so much for the sword power that You give to me by the Spirit, quickening those verses to me at just the right time!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I have sword power to stand against the devil’s attacks because the Holy Spirit quickens Scripture to my heart. When those verses are supernaturally quickened to me, the Spirit places a supernatural sword in my heart. As I release those words like a sword from my mouth, I wield a debilitating blow against the enemy. As I submit myself to God, I resist the devil and he must flee from me (James 4:7). I am thankful for the sword power that the Spirit gives to me and for quickening verses to me just in the right time!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of a time when the Holy Spirit “quickened” a verse to you, and that verse gave you instant power to stand against the attacks that were being waged against you? What was the scripture that gave you sword power against the enemy? Have you continued to wield it against the enemy as part of your customized arsenal?
2. If you are being attacked in your life or mind right now, have you asked the Holy Spirit to quicken a specific verse to you that will give you sword power against the devil’s attacks?
3. Do you know of any testimonies of someone who received a rhema word that suddenly gave that person direction and power for what he or she was doing or facing? What is that testimony?